From The Soviet Union....With Love
by petnurser
Summary: Fluff, and lots of it for Lee and Amanda


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Disclaimer: The characters belong to others....I don't make any money off of them and I can't imagine that I ever will.

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When:December 1987, marriage is well known. Story is set 5 months after my story "The Accident" and 5 weeks before "The Gift"

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Summary: Lee goes on assignment without Amanda, before and after, emotions run high.

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Notes:These guys have already been through so much together. Maybe someday I will come up with a tragedy for them to work through, but for now, I will give them fluff and hope that no one has a diabetic reaction.

The King-Stetson family was getting ready to decorate the house for Christmas. This year there was a new addition celebrating with the family, Lee Stetson. He was really enjoying himself. Amanda had always loved this time of year and one of her favorite parts was decorating. This was evident by the number of boxes that were being brought down from the attic. Amanda knew that Lee's childhood Christmases were lonely at best and she was determined to make this one the best that ever was for her husband. There would be no guacamole and chips this year.

The tree was decorated in record time. Usually, the "man" of the house topped the Christmas tree so the past few years either Philip or Jamie had put the angel on the top, but the boys had agreed the honor this year would be Lee's. Lee didn't know, he and Amanda were on a stakeout when the boys had talked about it. Privately, the boys had spoken to Amanda about what they were thinking about doing. They didn't understand why she was crying when she said that she liked the idea. Philip handed Lee the china angel and Lee was speechless. Amanda and Lee had talked about family customs, so he knew what this meant; he was home.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Lee and Amanda sat down in front of the fireplace. He kept wondering what had he done in his life that allowed him such incredible happiness. It only took him a few minutes before he realized that he would never know why he deserved this and he drew his Amanda closer to himself. They sat quietly, enjoying the fire and each other and neither realized that they had both fallen into a light sleep until the phone rang.

"Hello," Lee answered, trying to shake the sleepy feeling. The clock read 10:30.

"OK, Billy, we will be in shortly...What?...OK, I'll be there soon." Lee couldn't hide the frustration in his voice.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Amanda asked gently.

"Billy has an assignment for me."

"Let me get my coat." Amanda said.

"He wanted to see me alone. I'm sorry, honey, I'll fill you in when I get home." Lee said. As he opened the door to leave, he said, "I love you."

Amanda replied, "I love you, too. Be careful driving, sweetheart, it may snow." 

By the time he got home at around 2 AM, Lee had no more Christmas cheer. A member of his "family" was in trouble. Piter was a clerk for a minor official in the Soviet government and sometimes would pass along some small amount of information. Last night, he had been caught. Official Agency procedure was to let these civilian informants to "sink or swim" and hope for the best. Billy had done his best to change this policy and had not succeeded. But there was a short, but important, assignment that was coming up in the Soviet Union. If the agent he sent took care of a little personal business while over there, well, there was really nothing he could (or, unofficially, would) do about it. Billy wanted to send Scarecrow over with documents they needed to get into Soviet hands; sometimes intelligence involved knowing what to give away, too. If Lee helped Piter at the same time...well, so be it. Of course, if he got caught, the Agency would deny any involvement. The assignment should last about a week, and start in two days. Lee didn't want to go. That was about a week to long to be away from his wife and family, but he could deal with that if he had to. The problem was that this all had to be done delicately. If it got leaked or discovered, there would be trouble. Part of this delicacy was a no contact order. Lee would check in once a day and only Billy would know for sure where he was and what he was doing.

Lee was not happy about this at all and let Billy know under no uncertain terms. Billy took Lee's tirade then gave him a simple choice; take the assignment as it was spelled out or leave it. Lee knew that Billy was doing him a favor in giving him a chance to help Piter. The biggest thing that bothered Lee was that Christmas was only 2 weeks away. If something went wrong, this could keep him in Soviet Union under a no contact order for his wife's favorite holiday. This just wasn't fair. The section chief did soften the orders by telling Lee that Amanda would be filled in after Lee's check ins, but it wasn't the same as being able to talk to her...to hold her. Sometimes, Lee wished that he had become a banker or something "safe" and boring, but predictable. Then, at least he could be home to hold her every night. But then, if he wasn't in the right time and place to hand off a package at the train station.....The very thought made him shutter.

How was he going to tell Amanda that her husband might not be home for their first Christmas as a family? Worse, with a no contact order?? Lee knew that his wife was not going to like this. He took a deep breath of the cold December air, put his key in the front door and entered his home. Everything was quiet, as he expected it to be at two o'clock in the morning. He looked at the tree and felt a warmth in his chest that he had only begun to feel within the past year. There was something new on it, something that he hadn't seen before. An ornament in the shape of a scarecrow. He took it off the tree to look at it and noticed in Amanda's fine handwriting on the back, "There's No Place Like Home". He chuckled, put the ornament back on the tree and whispered the same phrase under his breath as he went upstairs to lie down beside his wife.

Lee was careful not to wake Amanda. She looked so comfortable when she slept. Her mouth was open to a little 'o' shape and little sounds escaped. He could watch her for hours. He fell asleep watching his wife and his last conscious thought was mentally thanking Billy for taking both of them off the duty roster until Tuesday, when he left for Moscow.

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Lee was right; Amanda was not happy about the assignment. It wasn't so much the timing or the no contact order that worried her. It was the fact that she needed to watch his backside. Besides the obvious benefits of keeping an eye on his rear, he was always that much more careful when she was around. She didn't tell him but it terrified her to have him in the field alone. Amanda knew that they both faced risks in the day to day world they worked in. Neither Lee nor Amanda (or any other operative for that matter) thought about that danger often. If they dwelled on the dangers, the job would never get done. The fact was they just didn't like being apart. Somehow, they had known this since the train station on that chilly October day. Over the past four years the feeling had only gotten stronger and better defined. 

Taking advantage of a day off with the boys in school, they spent Monday in bed. They knew that his assignment could be longer and much more dangerous than it sounded. Lee had heard of short assignments lasting months due to circumstances that agents had no control over. He also knew of easy assignments, "milk runs", that ended with the phrase "inactive - killed in the line of duty" in an agent's personnel file. He wanted to be more to Amanda's - no, his - family than a few pictures in an album and a large life insurance settlement. Lee and Amanda needed to take advantage of the opportunities they had, too. So, Lee and Amanda Stetson had decided to spend the day expressing, physically, their feelings for each other because neither knew when they might see each other again or even if they would. Theirs was a dangerous business and neither would risk leaving loving feelings unexpressed again. 

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Tuesday morning came all too soon. The boys got off to school without incident. With only two weeks to go until Christmas, they were excited and working overtime to behave. Amanda sat on the bed she shared with Lee and watched her husband pack for his trip. They had always known that what they had was precious. Since he almost lost his life on the off ramp in July, Lee found it even easier to tell his wife that he loved her. Lately he had really been thinking about children. Philip and Jamie were his sons. His heart refused to accept anything else and he certainly loved them like they were his biological children. Lee had lately been feeling a sadness in his heart. He had missed their early childhood. Pictures and stories could only fill in the gaps so well. He really wanted to watch a child grow up, their child. Did Amanda even want another baby? It would put a cramp in the career that she had worked so hard to succeed at. He didn't want her to have to choose between family and career. He was even considering retirement if he had to. The big problem now was that he had to catch the flight to London, and from there to Moscow. This conversation would have to wait.

Amanda tried her best not to let Lee know how she felt about this assignment. It had been a long time since he had to go away without her. Amanda felt lonely when he worked late without her. Their bed seemed to be too big when she slept alone. Thankfully, since revealing their marriage and the car accident, those times had been infrequent. But, now, Amanda Stetson faced a week (she refused to believe that he would be gone any longer) in that bed all alone. He drove the Corvette to the airport; his wife sat in the passenger seat, quiet. "I'll be home soon, Amanda. Don't worry. Billy will keep you informed. Please talk to me. You know that I can't take it when you are this upset."

His pleas to hear his wife's voice were answered with sobs. Amanda just couldn't hold it back anymore. "I'm sorry, Lee. I just hate the idea of you going away. I'm being selfish, I know. Piter needs your help probably as much as I want you here. I'll just miss you and you know how much I hate to sleep alone. What if something happens..." Her voice was lost in her sobs.

Lee knew how she was feeling. It was all he could do to hold back his own tears. He couldn't live without her and certainly didn't want to try. Through the repressed sorrow, he tried to keep his voice steady. "I'm sorry, Manda. I feel the same way that you do. Thanks to you, my family is the only thing that matters to me. I really don't want to go. I have to. The only thing that will keep me from you is ... well, if something happens to me. Don't cry anymore, honey. I promise I'll be home as soon as I can." His own tears felt hot on his face and bitter on his tongue. How could he offer his love comfort yet not be able to comfort himself?

When they reached the terminal, Lee got out of his car. He opened the trunk and removed his luggage. He then walked over to the passenger's side door and helped his wife out. They embraced and Lee lifted his wife's chin and looked into her eyes. His own tear-glistening eyes met Amanda's. They kissed like they never would again. Then Lee said, "I'll be home soon, honey. Keep in touch with Billy. I'll get you messages through him. Never forget for one minute that I love you and I'll be home soon."

Amanda stayed in his arms as long as she could. He had a plane to catch. She kissed him one last time and hugged her husband fiercely and said, simply, "I love you, Lee." 

He handed his wife his keys, kissed her one more time and turned to enter the terminal. He knew that if he looked back, his tears might continue all the way to Moscow.

Amanda managed to dry her eyes by the time she got to the office. She still felt an empty hole in her heart, but she had to deal with it. Maybe the week would pass quickly.

The week did pass quickly. At the office there were her training classes and paperwork to keep her busy. At home, Amanda busied herself with decorating for the coming holidays and her family. She asked Billy every day if he had heard from Lee and if he was OK. Billy kept reassuring her that her husband's reports indicated that everything was fine and that he would be home on Tuesday. Billy couldn't wait until he was home. Never again would he send Lee out in the field without his partner-wife. It cost him too much money for the antacids and headache pills.

The following Monday, Amanda was going over the Q-Bureau's expense accounts with Billy when the call came in. Lee had not missed a call-in since arriving in Moscow Tuesday night DC time. Billy had made sure that Amanda was here now. It was against the no-contact order, but the mission was almost over and Lee was coming home. When the phone rang, Billy pretended to be reading the report Amanda had prepared and motioned to her to answer the phone. "Mr. Melrose's office."

Her heart leapt when she heard the voice on the other side of the line. "Amanda? Boy do you sound good. How are you, the boys, Dotty? Honey, I miss you. I love you."

"Sweetheart, when are you coming home? I can't wait until you come home. Mother and the boys are fine and keep asking about you. I love you, too."

"I'll be home around 10:00 tomorrow night DC time. Can you do something for me, Manda? Can you tell Billy that and I'll debrief on Wednesday? I can't wait to see you. I love you. I've got to go. I've got a few things to tie up here then I'm coming home. I love you, see you soon.."

"I love you, too, Lee. I can't wait to see you, too. B-bye."

She hung up Billy's phone feeling happier than she had all week. He was coming home tomorrow. She remembered the Rebecca's Fantasies bag in the 'Vette's trunk. She had been driving his car while he was gone. Somehow it made her feel closer to him when he wasn't home. The previous Friday she felt really alone and drove around Georgetown after she left the office. On impulse, she stopped at the lingerie shop and bought a blue nightgown and robe set. The material was a fine silk and in the right light would leave little to the imagination, and Lee had an active imagination. She couldn't wait to wear it for him and she could tomorrow night. 

Tuesday seemed like one of the slowest days of her life. The morning was spent catching up on paperwork and meetings. In the afternoon, she aced her codes and ciphers final. At 4:30, one half hour early, Amanda said goodnight to everyone and went home. The house was unusually quiet. Amanda was wondering what was going on until she saw the note on the kitchen island. _Dear Amanda, I took the boys shopping. They are going to spend the night at Joe's. I have a date tonight with Kurt. Don't wait up for me! Love, Mother. _She would have the house to herself for a while. Amanda made her way up the stairs to the master bedroom that she shared with her husband. She placed the Rebecca's Fantasies bag on the bed and walked into the master bath. She turned the water on to fill the tub. By the time she undressed and put her hair up, the tub was ready. The hot water relaxed her body and her mind wandered. Lee would be home soon. This past week had been lonely for her. Yes the boys and Mother were there for her, but Lee held a special place in her heart. She wondered how he would feel about a child. They hadn't talked about it, but he was so good with their boys. They would have to discuss it soon. 

The water got cold and Amanda lifted her body out of the tub. She wrapped a towel around herself and went into the bedroom to get dressed. She got a sweatshirt and pair of sweats from her dresser and put them on. She turned around to see her husband stretched out on their bed, grinning.

"LEE!! What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be home for hours. How did you get in here without me hearing you?" She was so ecstatic to see Lee, she rambled until she made no sense.

"Hold it, Amanda. I was able to catch earlier flights. I AM a spy, it's what I do. Give me a kiss, I'm starving here." 

When their lips met, they released the fire that they had been holding back for the week. Clothes flew. Sweatshirt here, sport jacket there. A bra and blue boxers on the floor. By both their estimates, a 0week apart was a week too long. They were relaxing in each other's arms, enjoying the after effects of their lovemaking, when they heard it. "Lee, when was the last time you ate something?"

"Uh...Sometime this morning, I guess." Amanda sighed, almost a year of marriage and he still had horrible eating habits.

"Did you want to order a pizza or just have sandwiches?" 

"Sandwiches are OK, hon." Lee said with a smile on his face.

They put on their robes, the new peignoir set all but forgotten, and sauntered downstairs to the kitchen. In no time they were enjoying the leftover ham Amanda had served for last night's dinner. Once he finished eating he thought to look at the clock on the wall, it was 7:00. "Amanda, where are our boys and your mother?"

Amanda said nothing but handed her husband the note Dotty had left for her in the kitchen. A wide, mischiefous grin spread over his handsome features, his eyes becoming even more luminous than usual. He embraced his wife and spun her around in the kitchen, his lips meeting hers half way through the turn. They had the house to themselves tonight.....complete privacy. He carried Amanda up the stairs and into their bedroom and laid her on the bed they shared. 

At dawn they finally fell asleep in each other's arms, the last thought each of them had was "Oh my gosh" when they remembered that they had thrown all caution to the wind. The condoms were all in the night table drawer.....and had not been brought out.


End file.
